ABOUT THIS ALBUM

Album Notes

"So what kind of music do you play?" Has become the 64,000 dollar question for Michael Harris and the Michael Harris Band. For most artists it would be an easy question to answer - Blues, or Jazz, orHard Rock, but for a band whose roots can be traced back to the rice fields of Japan - well all bets are off. With acoustic songs infused with traces of rock, pop and blues, singer/songwriter Michael R. Harris has
touched audiences internationally with his warm and rich voice, heartfelt lyrics and themes that explore the human condition.

Born in Colorado, Harris – an Army Brat, spent his childhood in Germany, Kansas and Maryland where his family settled. The seeds for Harris’s lifelong connection to music were planted during his childhood by singing in church choirs, playing in the youth orchestra and listening to classic performers like Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington. His eclectic tastes grew to encompass artists ranging from Johnny Cash to Youssou N’dour.

Harris went to Emerson College in Boston and moved to Los Angeles to start a career in television. He became a successful producer working for various networks including E! Entertainment Television, ABC and NBC. But he was never too far from music, occasionally sitting in on trumpet with a friend’s band and writing lyrics on the side.

At the same time that Harris committed himself to fully pursuing his music an opportunity to live abroad came into play. So Harris, a Black-belt martial artist, traveled to Japan for a year to master Kendo, or Japanese fencing. That year turned into six with Harris following his musical passion. He sang in two Blues bands and formed a band of his own. He cut his teeth performing in Tokyo and the surrounding area. He wrote songs, played guitar and honed his craft, going on to perform in places as diverse as Indonesia, Portugal and Prague.

Returning to LA in 2004 Harris quickly went to work in forming a new band. Through old contacts and after a few changes the Michael Harris Band was formed. The band is made up of professional musicians who have worked extensively in LA and abroad. The core members are Carl Byron on keyboards, Michael Barsimanto on drums, Roberto Montero on lead guitar, Austin Nicholson on bass, and Farzin Farhadi on saxophone. With this talented line-up Harris has been able to stretch his eclectic nature. The band can seamlessly shift gears moving from an upbeat Rock tune to a Basso beat groove, to a Jazz tinged ballad.

The Michael Harris Band’s cohesiveness and musicianship helped them in the creation of “OPEN LETTER” their very eclectic debut CD release in 2006.